


Well Worth the Travel, and the Snow

by SidheLives



Series: Fen'Harem Fluffcember 2020 [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cookies, F/M, Fluffcember, Hot Chocolate, Romantic Fluff, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28173951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SidheLives/pseuds/SidheLives
Summary: "Nice of Josie to send us off with such fine chocolate. It must have cost a fortune."Solas nodded, attention back in whatever he was working on. "Very nice of her. As nice as Leliana arranging the cabin for us, even accounting for the brisk weather.""I hear it's very typical for Fereldan this time of year.""Mores the pity for Fereldan then."Athim laughed. "You don't enjoy the snow?""I could enjoy anything with you in my company, Vhenan."Written for Fen'Harem's Fluffcember 2020Prompt: With a Loved One
Relationships: Female Lavellan/Solas, Lavellan/Solas (Dragon Age)
Series: Fen'Harem Fluffcember 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035954
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8
Collections: Fen'Harem's Fluffcember 2020





	Well Worth the Travel, and the Snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [piecesofsolas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/piecesofsolas/gifts).



Snow was falling softly outside of the cabin, rimming the world in frosty white. Inside, roaring fires built up in several hearths heated the small space to a level just approaching cozy, fogging the expensive glass paned windows. The smell of fresh fire and warming chocolate filled the air and Solas hummed from where he worked in the small kitchen.

Athim had found ample blankets in a chest near the sitting area and arranged them, along with several piles of books from her bags, on the plush sofa. "Solas, do you need any help with anything?" She called, satisfied with the seating arrangements.

"Everything is in well in hand,  _ Vhenan _ . You make yourself comfortable, pick out a book. I'm particularly intrigued by that title on the Second Blight you located." He responded, giving nothing away regarding his mysterious culinary task.

Athim chuckled, ignoring his instruction and pulling her sweater tighter around her chest as she abandoned the sitting area to join him.

"I would have thought the tomes on the origins of Tevinter government would be more to your liking." She attempted to peek over his shoulder, which he blocked with a side step.

"Well, we do have a week, I would think that would be enough time to get round to them all." She could hear the smile in his voice as he adjusted his shoulders to throw off her further attempts.

"What are you making?" She asked directly, swooping around to his other elbow, a move he anticipated and side stepped in the way of again.

"A surprise, which you are nearing very close to ruining." He looked over his shoulder at her with one raised eyebrow and she felt her temperature rise several degrees. "If you are so desperate for distraction you might check on the chocolate."

"Oh fine, keep your secrets." She wrinkled her nose at him and he returned the expression, leaning slightly to place a peck on her lips. Her heart sped, even at the slight touch, and she frowned playfully. "Cheat. How am I supposed to maintain my curiosity when you do that?"

"I think you'll find that was the purpose of the gesture." He smirked.

Sighing, Athim went to the slowly warming pot of chocolate which was gently melting, stirring it with a wooden spoon Solas had left for that purpose. "Nice of Josie to send us off with such fine chocolate. It must have cost a fortune."

Solas nodded, attention back in whatever he was working on. "Very nice of her. As nice as Leliana arranging the cabin for us, even accounting for the brisk weather."

"I hear it's very typical for Fereldan this time of year."

"Mores the pity for Fereldan then."

Athim laughed. "You don't enjoy the snow?"

"I could enjoy anything with you in my company,  _ Vhenan _ ." He looked back at her as he spoke and she flushed, clearing her throat to hide her clumsy acceptance of the compliment.

"Hand me the cream?" Athim asked, locating a bowl and whisk among the shelves. Solas retrieved the jug of cream from a bucket of snow brought in for that purpose, carefully handing it to her in such a way that she couldn't see past him. Taking it, Athim started whipping as she continued. "It's a very nice cabin."

"It is," he agreed. "I assume that this friend of Leliana must be someone quite important to leave such a place vacant yet well maintained."

"Leliana only has one Fereldan friend that I can think of whom she never names." She gave Solas a significant look.

"Ah." Solas picked up her meaning immediately. "That would account for the vacancy. A fitting retreat then."

"How so?"

"This is the home of a legend, and now hosts another."

Athim frowned, her cheeks flushing crimson and beat the cream harder. "I'm not a legend."

"Not yet. The Hero of Fereldan didn't begin as a legend either."

She glanced over and saw Solas's teasing smile. She used the whisk to flick cream at his face, fighting her own grin as she flushed deeper. " _ Delav'ishan _ ."

Solas laughed and wiped the spot of white from his face with one finger which he then popped into his mouth. "I think that is ready."

"Are you done?" Athim tried again to duck around him to see his workspace, an attempt he once again blocked.

" _ Melena, da'len _ ." He chided, turning her shoulders and directing her back to the pot of chocolate. "Why don't you finish the beverages?"

Athim pouted as loudly as she was able as she removed the chocolate from the heat and carefully added cream, stirring until the consistency was right for drinking, and moving the result into a pair of heavy mugs, a breath of magic ensuring none was spilled.

"How much cream do you want?" She asked, giving the topping a final whisk.

"Approximately as much as can be added without the cups overflowing."

Athim laughed, Solas's sweet tooth never ceased to amuse her, and set about topping the mugs of chocolate with an obscene amount of whipped cream. 

"Finished." Solas announced proudly.

Athim excitedly turned on her heel and almost careened into the tray of cookies Solas was holding. Looking between them and Solas's anxious smile, Athim felt her heart flutter. "You made me cookies."

"Your favorite, if I'm not mistaken."

She couldn't have cared less if they were made of moss and deep mushroom.

Athim took the tray from his hands and carefully set it aside, then threw her arms around his neck. "They look perfect." She laid a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

Solas turned his head to catch her lips with his, arms wrapping tightly around her and lifting her up onto her toes. " _ You _ are perfect,  _ Vhenan _ ." He kissed her again.

Athim reluctantly released her hold on him, letting her palm drift down his jawline and relishing the way he leaned into the soft caress. "Everything is ready in the other room."

"Let's not waste any more time puttering about the kitchen then." Solas scooped the tray of cookies up again and placed another kiss onto her forehead just below the hairline as he swept past her.

With a giggle Athim retrieved the mugs from the counter and followed him. He set the cookies down on a low table before the sofa, then settled into it, casually crossing one ankle over his opposite knee and gesturing for her to sit with him. She did so, placing one of the mugs into his open hand and tucking her legs underneath her, head propped on his shoulder. They shared a contented sigh as they relaxed into the cushions, Solas's free arm drifting around her shoulders.

"This is nice. I'm glad Josie insisted on some time away" Athim said after a moment.

Solas nodded. "Well worth the travel, and the snow." He slipped from his mug, somehow managing to drink around the mountain of whipped cream without any clinging to his skin.

Athim was not so deft. She felt the foam clinging to her lips, just past where a pass of her tongue could reach.

Solas laughed and, pulling her in closer, kissed the edge of her mouth where the cream had stuck.

"Better?" Athim asked.

"I think there may be another spot I missed," Solas responded, voice a shade deeper. He kissed the opposite corner of her mouth, then again just above her lip.

"Better now?" Her cheeks were flushed again.

Solas kissed her properly then, a lingering kiss warmer and sweeter than the cocoa. "Better now."

Athim smiled warmly. "Good." She set her cocoa aside and plucked a book from the stack beside her, snatching a cookie with the other before relaxing into Solas's side. She took a bite and tasted the chocolate, dates, and dried berries. She gave another contented sigh, closing her eyes.

"I'll take that as a sign of a rousing success on my part," Solas chuckled, replacing his own mug with a book.

"Absolutely." She rapidly polished off the cookie and grabbed another. "No one has ever gotten them quite right before."

"The cooks in Skyhold's kitchen can attest that there were many failures leading up to this batch." He smirked.

"I'll have to make inquiries upon our return." She smiled up at him, leafing open the book on her lap. "You failing must have been quite the sight."

He laughed. "I suppose it was. I can only hope I repaid their kindness with the new expletives I contributed to their vocabulary."

"A generous payment." Athim confirmed, finishing her second cookie.

They settled into comfortable silence, broken only by the turning of pages and occasional sips.

"What do you suppose the others think we're doing with our time alone?" Athim broke the silence as she finished a chapter.

"I have a very good idea what most of them probably think." Solas's eyes didn't leave his book as he responded, which spared Athim the embarrassment of him seeing her suddenly flushed cheeks.

"Oh," she laughed nervously. "That's probably accurate."

He leaned over to kiss her temple. "This, I dare say, is much preferable."

Athim studied his profile as he read, blush fading as she watched his eyes trace over the page. "It is." She pulled a blanket around them, nuzzling into him as his arm tightened slightly around her. "I wouldn't have it any other way."


End file.
